Posts tagged with "Reference"
Posted by aharder on 07/14/17
As of August 1, the AHML mobile app will be discontinued. You will still be able to manage your account, search our catalog, and register for programs on your phone or tablet using our mobile-friendly website, http://www.ahml.info.
We encourage our app users to bookmark our mobile menu screen at http://www.ahml.info/mobile.html. You will still be able to manage your account, search our catalog, place a hold and register for programs on your phone or tablet using our mobile-friendly website. The mobile site is accessible from any browser. By August 1, the library’s mobile website will have the added feature of allowing you to display your barcode on your mobile device. Navigate to My Account as of August 1, and you’ll see an option to display your library card’s barcode. You can then use this barcode at our self-checkout stations or at our Checkout Desk in the library.
Feel free to contact the library for assistance.
If you would like to create an icon on your device's home screen so you still can access our website quickly, follow the instructions below:
For Android Devices:
Chrome
1. Open the Chrome app
2. Navigate to ahml.info
3. Select the Options button (located in the top right corner of the app)
4. Select "Add to Home Screen"
5. Name your bookmark and click Add
6. You should now see a new icon on your phone's home screen
Firefox
1. Open the Firefox app
2. Navigate to ahml.info
3. Select the Options button (located in the top right corner of the app)
4. Select "Page"
5. Select "Add to Home Screen"
6. You should now see a new icon on your phone's home screen
For iPhone and Apple Devices
1. Open the Safari app
2. Navigate to ahml.info
3. Tap the Share button at the bottom of the screen
4. Select "Add to Home Screen"
5. Name your bookmark and save it
6. You should now see a new icon on your phone's home screen
If you have any questions, please contact the library for assistance
Posted by daccurso on 06/15/09
Information Services Manager Jason Kuhl spoke to the Arlington Heights Noon Rotary Group recently about the services his department offers. He highlighted questions that our librarians answer for customers at the Answer Center, like what can be done about racoons in your house or what is the most popular New Year's resolution and how often is it kept. (By the way, the most popular resolution is, as you might guess, weight loss, but about 92% of the time, it is not achieved.)
Kuhl encouraged audience members to contact the Answer Center with their questions, whether it is to settle a bet, find consumer information, get driving directions, find out about village ordinances, get answers to trivia questions and much more. Call the Answer Center at 847-506-2633, or email, text or live chat with your question.
Posted by aharder on 08/08/16
Online Tools for Back to School
Find these at http://www.ahml.info/kids/school_help and http://www.ahml.info/teens/study (except for Testing & Education Reference Center, which is not on the kids’ page)
Encyclopedia Britannica: The world-renowned reference tool, with articles, images, videos and helpful links on almost every topic (countries, people, animals, science, etc.). Three versions: For Children, For Young Adults and Reference Center. 1st grade-adult.
Student Resources in Context: Reference articles, overviews and magazine journal articles on all topics. Helpful at term paper time! 5th grade-adult.
PebbleGo: For emergent readers--short articles and videos about animals, science, biographies and social science. K-2nd grade.
Core Concepts (Biology, Chemistry & Periodic Table): Overview articles to help understand important scientific principles. 7th-12 grades.
CultureGrams: Detailed overviews of all the world’s countries: government, population, daily life, etc. 3rd-12th grades.
Visual Thesaurus: Love wordplay? Use Visual Thesaurus to explore connections between words and build your vocabulary. Read fun, informative articles about the interesting ways in which we use words. There’s even an online spelling be you can join. Also great for ESL learners. 6th grade-adult.
Testing & Education Reference Center: Online test prep for ACT, the new SAT, GRE, MCAT, LSAT, GED etc., as well as several vocational tests (ASVAB, PRAXIS, etc.) and language/citizenship tests. High school students can do college and scholarship searches, and job seekers can use a resume-building tool. 10th grade-adult.
Tutor.com: Live online tutoring for students in all topics (math, science, social studies, etc.). Older students can get help with standardized test prep and adults can take advantage of their resume-writing assistance. 1st grade-adult.
Posted by paichele on 01/30/17
What is fake news?
The Internet is full of viral misinformation. Fake news is a false news story designed to look like credible information and makes it difficult to decipher fact from fiction. Fake news typically spreads fast online. How can we wade through it? Always reflect on how you encountered the story. Was it promoted on a website? Did it show up in a social media feed? Was it sent to you by someone you know? Trace the story to its original source.
The Internet is full of viral misinformation. Fake news is a false news story designed to look like credible information and makes it difficult to decipher fact from fiction. Fake news typically spreads fast online. How can we wade through it? Always reflect on how you encountered the story. Was it promoted on a website? Did it show up in a social media feed? Was it sent to you by someone you know? Trace the story to its original source.
Here are some other helpful steps to analyze news sources and tools for fact checking.
Put it to the CRAAP Test:
Currency—Can you find a date of the article or photograph? When was it last updated?
Relevance—Who is the intended audience? How does the source meet your needs?
Accuracy—Is the information supported by evidence? Does it cite other sources?
Authority—Who is the author? What are their credentials?
Purpose—Does the site give facts or opinions? Does it have a clear bias?
Is it true? Check out these unbiased fact-checking websites:
Snopes
Independent, self-sufficient entity wholly owned by its operators who investigate rumors.
Independent, self-sufficient entity wholly owned by its operators who investigate rumors.
Factcheck
Non-partisan, non-profit which acts as a consumer advocate for voters. A project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania
Non-partisan, non-profit which acts as a consumer advocate for voters. A project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania
Politifact
Independent fact checking website created by the Tampa Bay Times newspaper. PolitiFact has won the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting
Independent fact checking website created by the Tampa Bay Times newspaper. PolitiFact has won the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting
Where does the bias lie in the media?
Check out this study from the Pew Research Institute
Other resources and articles about Fake News
When Fake News Stories Make Real News Headlines
When Fake News Stories Make Real News Headlines
Looking for more information? Contact a Specialty Info Librarian at questions@ahml.info.
Posted by aharder on 06/14/17
Heading abroad over the summer? Make sure to learn the language. The library offers a number of free online language-learning tools:
• Little Pim: Fun, easy lessons for kids, pre-K to 2nd grade. It covers Spanish, French, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, Hebrew, English, German, Arabic, Russian.
• Mango Languages: Lively introductory lessons for 72 languages. Special “Conversations” lessons give you a quick-start. Some language lessons also have full-length foreign-language feature films (for adult audiences) to help improve your language comprehension.
• Pronunciator: Covers over 80 languages. Many have “8-Week Travel Prep” lessons and scheduled “Live Conversation” sessions that let you talk in real-time with a Pronunciator representative. Kids can use their special “Young Learners” lessons. Pronunciator is a more in-depth resource and includes a special evaluation tool to help improve your pronunciation skills.
Both Mango and Pronunciator are also valuable tools for learning English as a Second Language (ESL).
Find all three at ahml.info/onlinelearning, and our Kids’ School Help page.
Posted by aharder on 08/11/17
The library is now offering cardholders access to a new database called Pivot, a major resource for researching grants and funding opportunities. Pivot is intuitive and easy to use. Customers can use Pivot to research grant sources for organizations, small businesses and individuals.
Just some of the areas included in Pivot's research include STEM Education, Clean Technology, Energy Industry, Sustainable Design, Green Buildings, Cloud Computing and Urban Farming.
Learn more by visiting Pivot from our Online Databases page.
Posted by aharder on 01/31/18
If you missed the library's annual Readers’ Party and are looking for your next winter read, here is a recap of staff recommendations:
Something Like Happy by Eva Wood
Recommended by Sherri T, Readers Advisory
Recommended by Sherri T, Readers Advisory
Coming to my Senses by Alice Waters
Recommended by Joan L, Readers Advisory
Recommended by Joan L, Readers Advisory
Unforgettable: The Bold Flavors of Paula Wolfert’s Renegade Life by Emily Kaiser Thelin
Recommended by Katie M, Senior Services
Recommended by Katie M, Senior Services
River of Consciousness by Oliver Sacks
Recommended by Barb W, Senior Services
Recommended by Barb W, Senior Services
The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
Recommended by Pam S, Readers Advisory
Recommended by Pam S, Readers Advisory
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Recommended by Julie J, School Services
Recommended by Julie J, School Services
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Recommended by Alice S, Teen Services
Recommended by Alice S, Teen Services
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Recommended by Sonya H, Teen Services
Find more Staff Picks here.
Want recommendations on what to read next? Complete our Book Me form and our librarians will provide a list of recommended books for you to try.
Posted by aharder on 04/05/18
Library parking lot full? Did you know parking is also available across the street from the library in the commuter lot on Vail Avenue? After noon on weekdays, and all day Saturday and Sunday, the Vail commuter lot is free. The commuter lot is located on Vail Avenue between St. James and Fremont. Enter from Vail Avenue or St. James.
Posted by daccurso on 07/23/09
Want to know how to make the best use of Twitter? How about improving your digital photography or learning how to use Photoshop? You can do this and so much more online using our new Safari Select database. It contains over 400 technical books that you can read entirely online. There's no downloading or checking them out. More than one person can read them at a time, so they are always available. You can find Safari Select listed with our other databases under Research. You can use it from home or in the Library. If using from home, you will need an A.H. library card, or you can come into the Library and register for remote access at the Welcome Desk.
